This whole skate park issue is getting way out of hand. The one thing that everyone seems to be ignoring in the letters of opposition is the very carefully veiled prejudice against young people in this town. It has to stop now.

Mr. Hanlon’s analogy of putting the Skate Park in front of the library is akin to building a mansion at the dump is ludicrous. The youth of our community are our future. They are the up-and-coming doctors, nurses, police and fire personnel, physicists, engineers, and politicians. What is being said to them right now is, “You don’t matter.”

This is not the Los Alamos of the past 60 years. It is the Los Alamos of the next 60 years and beyond.

We have done a great job of taking care of our seniors and our living treasures, who have done a great deal for the lab and the community. We need to look to the future and make sure that the citizens of tomorrow are looked out for and taken care of.

I find it hard to believe that property values in the neighborhood will decrease because of a skate park. No offense to the current owners and the historical significance of the houses on Bathtub Row, but if I was being driven through town on a tour and didn’t know what those homes represented, I’d think I was driving through a part of town that time forgot.

There have been no violations of the municipal code by the county council or county administration that I have been able to find according to the copy that is online. So just give it a rest.

Yes, there are many other locations to put the park but this is the best location for the following reasons. It is in the center of town and might bring some life to that area that is pretty dull. It is across from the police station and the chances of vandalism and drug dealing are greatly diminished.

I saw what happened to the old skate park and I’ve seen what happens to skate parks that are in obscure locations. It’s not good for the community or the skaters.

I am sorry if a minority of the community is unhappy with the decision but I just don’t see anything wrong with what is going on. We are coming up upon a big celebration of 60 years of Los Alamos County’s past and that is a wonderful thing but we need to take some time to think about what people will celebrate in the future and how we will be looked upon by future generations.

If people feel that they need to respond to me either negatively or positively, I give the Monitor permission to print my e-mail: manny@bacaforla.com.